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Personal
Fullname: Didier Ferdinand Agathe
aka: Didier Agathe
Born: 16 August 1975
Birthplace: Saint Pierre, France
Signed: 1 September 2000
Left: 12 September 2006
Position: Right Back/Wing Back/ Winger
Debut: Celtic 2-0 St Mirren, League, 14th Oct 2000
Internationals: none
Trivia
- Quirkily, he has played as a Rangers striker (sort of), albeit as a support actor as player for Rangers in the forgettable Robert Duvall comedy movie “A Shot At Glory“. It was a straight to video affair, not worth chasing down to watch.
Biog
| “I can’t explain the feeling I had, playing for Celtic. I was like a child, I felt like I was dreaming…I always knew how lucky I was to be there.” Didier Agathe |
His debut was in the 2-0 victory over St Mirren in the the treble winning season, and nobody could ever have believed the journey we would go through in the following years, and Agathe was there practically the whole way with Martin O’Neill.
Didier can best be described as fine but flawed. Little more can be described as frustrating than watching Didier on the ball. He was able to make a dazzling run along the wing, aided by his great acceleration on the ball, only to then see him make an absolutely appalling cross of the ball to the strikers (if ever it even reached them). In some ways you couldn’t really have one without the other. What made him valuable was his great pace as took the ball along the wing but at pace the end product is easier said than done.
Even with any of his deficiencies it was the pace and reaction speed that got him out of trouble (hampered also by being very one-footed). Maybe some better coaching could have paid out dividends to find a balance but nevertheless his input was worth more than the cost. When it worked it was brilliant.
In many ways, it was his transformation from a winger in the midfield to playing/starting as a full-back for his runs that paid out greater dividends. It allowed his tackling abilities to come to the fore, but also he was a good tackler and harried opposition players using his pace & acceleration to keep on top of them. He thrived in the early seasons when O’Neill was playing a 3-5-2 formation, but this was partially curtailed as we suffered in Europe from the three at the back. However, Agathe could be frustrating as hell as well too, and when off form it could rile up huge numbers of the support.
Right back was his forte, and when played here there was little anywhere who was as good. He was deployed mostly you could say in modern coaching parlance as a ‘wingback’ and in some ways, the first true ‘wingback’ Celtic have had (not that attacking full-backs was something necessarily unknown at Celtic beforehand).
Domestically there was nobody to match him in his position, and he made a good difference to the first team when he was on from, but it was in Europe was where some of his best games came. In the ‘Road to Seville‘ (UEFA Cup 2003 final) it has been a little overshadowed just how useful and important he was in some games, with a great role in the Blackburn away match as well as Stuttgart & Celta Vigo away. His pace and bombing runs up the wing put pressure on the opposition and helped create the chances that pushed us through each round.
It was no one-off either, and in Celtic’s UEFA Cup (2004) games v Barcelona, he tamed the very gifted Ronaldinho (then the world’s top player), where the latter even applauded Agathe on the pitch for his ability. A strong runner, and intelligent player, I’m sure that many around him would say that the Barcelona games were his finest moments, although being part of the Seville Team was another one of the great highlights of his career.
In saying all that, he has the unwanted accolade to have been likely the first Celtic player to create mass opprobrium on the Celtic football forums. The mass Celtic forums had only really kicked off early in the 2000’s, and little more could kickstart a feud than a discussion on Didier Agathe. Those sympathetic and otherwise could argue all day throwing statistics and match examples of his worth or not, questioning his runs and supply etc, with an end result of a lot of long threads with not an inch budged. Still, it was better than some of the off-field arguments that were being debated on the forums at the time.
Didier scarcely featured in the 2005/06 season under new manager Gordon Strachan. He was naturally very fit and was not the best of trainers – and this did not go down well with Strachan who was a strict disciplinarian when it came to training. Strachan was known to have double training sessions which did not go down well with some of the more experienced Pros with Celtic at the time in particular Agathe and Chris Sutton, indeed Sutton had more than one bust up with the Management team claiming that he “knew his own body”. Agathe was linked with a number of clubs over past seasons, including Valencia CF, Juventus, Middlesbrough, and Leeds United. However, no transfer was concluded by the end of the January transfer window, and an agreement was reached to terminate his contract with Celtic on 1st February, 2006. Sadly the end of his time was marked by some public spats, so it was only a matter of time before he was gone.
Must add that as with all players with pace, time catches up them and they do lose that advantage sharply at one point or another. No different for Agathe. He’d had knees injuries over the years which is not uncommon for wingers, but a dreadful challenge by Webster (Hearts) on Agathe in match in 2007 really was the killer. Put Agathe out for months and he never truly recovered his best after that.
He had further trials in 2006 with Roma, Middlesbrough, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Torino, but failed to secure a deal. He eventually re-signed for Martin O’Neill at Aston Villa on a short term deal which saw him make 5 appearances before being released in January 2007.
He had an unsuccessful trial with Nottingham Forest in July 2007. He was later back in La Reunion playing with local club Jeuness Sportif Saint Pierroise.
He was a great player for the club, and taking in the minimal outlay on him he was one of the best value purchases made during Martin O’Neill’s reign.
Quotes
“I can’t explain the feeling I had, playing for Celtic.
“I was like a child, I felt like I was dreaming, especially when we played in the Champions League.
“I always knew how lucky I was to be there. My first motivation was – give your best and make people happy.”
Didier Agathe
Playing Career
| Club | From | To | Fee | League | Scottish Cup | League cup | Other | ||||
| Aston Villa | 12/09/2006 | 11/01/2007 | Signed | 0 (5) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Celtic | 01/09/2000 | 12/09/2006 | £ 50000 | 110 (11) | 9 | 16 (0) | 0 | 4 (0) | 0 | 39 (1) | 2 |
| Hibernian | 04/07/2000 | 01/09/2000 | Free | 5 (0) | 4 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 |
| Raith | 26/08/1999 | 04/07/2000 | Free | 30 (0) | 7 | 1 (0) | 0 | 0 (0) | 0 | 0 (1) | 0 |
| Montpellier | 01/08/1998 | 26/08/1999 | No appearance data available | ||||||||
| Totals | £50,000 | 145 (16) | 20 | 17 (0) | 0 | 4 (2) | 0 | 39 (2) | 2 | ||
| goals / game | 0.12 | 0 | 0 | 0.04 | |||||||
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
Honours with Celtic
Scottish League Titles
Scottish Cup
League Cup
Pictures
KStreet
Articles
WINGER AND A PRAYER – DIDIER’S SECRET PILGRIMAGE TO RESTORE STATUE OF MARY
CELTIC star Didier Agathe is making secret visits to a graveyard to help restore a statue of the Virgin Mary. The winger frequently visits St Peter’s Cemetery, just a few hundred yards from Celtic’s Glasgow training ground.
He discovered it had a statue of Our Lady of Fatima, erected at a woman’s grave, in a state of disrepair.
So Agathe has been using his visits after training to help fix the statue.
On the anniversary of the death of the woman, the 27-year-old footballer, who is a devout Catholic, bought flowers from a local florist.
The widower of the dead woman has met with the star and now the two of them are making sure the statue looks like a fitting tribute. Agathe even asked the pensioner, of Dennistoun, Glasgow, for his permission to keep up his visits.
The star, who played a vital part in both Celtic goals last Thursday to earn them a place in the UEFA Cup quarter- finals, is known to take his religious beliefs very seriously.
He was born on the Indian Ocean island of Reunion, where 86 per cent of the population are Catholic. Agathe prefers not to spend his wages on high living and has helped youth projects in Reunion through his career in football.
He spends every Sunday and most days after training visiting the statue in the east end of Glasgow. The family who own the plot declined to comment on Agathe’s good deed.
A spokesman for Celtic said: “Didier considers his religion and football to be two totally different things.
“This is a very private matter for him.
“He only went to the statue a few times to clean it up but doesn’t want a big fuss made of it.”
The story of Our Lady of Fatima relates to claims made in 1917 by a group of three children that Mary appeared before them with a message for all mankind.
The children were playing near Fatima, Portugal, when they claim they were visited six times in total by the mother of Christ, who warned the world to repent for its sin and asked all Catholics to pray for Russia. Agathe shares his devotion to Our Lady of Fatima with Pope John Paul II.
The Pope believes that Our Lady of Fatima saved his life after the 1981 assassination bid by Turk Mehmet Ali Acga in Rome. On his last vist to Portugal, the pontiff placed the bullet which was removed from his wound in the shrine at Fatima.
Article 2005
HE delivery is quiet, without a boast or a trace of bombast. It’s only every so often, as he stops to take stock, that you see the flicker of realisation on Didier Agathe’s face. He has been sitting on one of the greatest football stories never told.
The former Celtic winger’s rise in Scottish football is well known. No player has ever gone from Raith Rovers to Hibs to Celtic Park in the space of a calendar year, becoming a key part of one of the club’s greatest ever sides.
He has told of his fairytale rise many times in interviews, shared his memories of nights in the Champions League, his appearance in the UEFA Cup Final, the club’s historic treble win, three title victories and five domestic cup triumphs.
His career here also included a Hollywood interlude and a cameo in Robert Duvall’s now infamous Shot at Glory, where he starred in a Rangers team.
What he has never revealed is the full story of his playing career and arrival here and the fact is he is a living, breathing miracle, lucky to be here at all, let alone having carved out such a successful career in professional football.
“The truth is, I should never have played,” he began. “I was living on La Reunion and was spotted by a scout from Montpellier.
“I had 10 clubs after me but I chose Montpellier because it was in the south of France, the climate was good and Laurent Robert, who was also from my island, was already there.
“It was hard for me at first. We are French on La Reunion island, but are 10,000 kilometres from France and speak Creole, so it was difficult to adapt.
“I went for my medical, but they did not see that I had appendicitis and my appendix exploded. I spent six hours on an operating table and lost 12 kilos in one week.
“When I recovered I was always injured. It was only when they sent me to see a professor that they spotted that I didn’t have any cartilage in my right knee. There is no cartilage at all – it’s bone to bone.
“It’s hereditary, my brother had the same problem but didn’t play football and had an operation when he was younger.
“I was told if I got the operation, I wouldn’t be able to play. I told them not to do it, so they cleaned out my knee but told me I would never play at a high level again.”
That should have been the end of it and there will be club doctors reading this, trying to comprehend how Agathe got so far without the problem being spotted in the first place.
He began to negotiate a settlement with his club, tendering his resignation and one of his brothers flew over to France to help him return home.
Deeply depressed and struggling to accept the decision he did what most would do and attempted to drown his sorrows. Then, the morning after the night before, came the crash.
“I fell asleep at the wheel of my car,” he continued. “My car went over a fence and landed on a barrier. My windows were blown out, the airbags went off and I was stuck, on a quiet road on a Sunday morning with no one around.
“Suddenly an ambulance came along and found me, they were on their way to another accident, saw me and stopped.
“My car was totally destroyed. It was hanging on the edge of the road, over a steep drop. I don’t know why it didn’t fall.”
It was during his recovery that he decided to give it one more go, to try somewhere, somehow to make it as a professional.
His career in France was over, the odds were stacked against him, but he was taking a chance, and leaving it entirely to fate.
“This is a true story,” he said with a smile. “I took a map and took a coin and flipped it. The coin landed on England.
“I took everything I had in my flat and sold it. I managed to get together just over 10,000 Francs. I got a car and took everything I had and drove to Calais.
“I was sleeping in my car at first but had a friend in Burnley who let me come and stay with him. Every morning I went running and the money I had, I used to go to the gym.
“My friend arranged a trial with Stockport. I went there and it went perfectly. I had my top, with Agathe on the back and my number, but I failed my medical.”
By that time his money was almost out. His family was telling him to return home and was about to give up.
“On the morning I was about to leave I met a French guy, who just happened to be over for a trial with Wigan, whose name was Ludovic Pollet.
“We got talking and he told me, ‘we are playing tonight, come and watch the game.’ I went. I had no money, nothing at all and was introduced to his agent, Phil Black, who introduced me to another agent, whose name was Willie McKay.
“I hardly spoke any English, but my friend was translating and Willie asked, ‘why don’t you come to Scotland?’ I answered: ‘Where’s Scotland!?’ I had no idea!
“I followed Willie all the way up in my old Honda. We arrived in Motherwell at 11.30pm at night for a trial there. Willie phoned their manager, Billy Davies, but his wife explained that he was in hospital – with appendicitis!
“Willie said, it’s okay, follow me and we drove and drove and at two o’clock in the morning we arrived in Kirkcaldy.”
A white lie got him in the door at Starks Park, Raith Rovers had lost their first four games and manager John McVeigh needed a striker.
Agathe had never played up front but told the manager he had and scored two in a bounce game against the first team.
That weekend, as a trialist against Airdrie, he hit a hat trick.
When his deal ran out at the end of the season he thought he had a club lined up, but his best offer came from Alex McLeish and Hibs, who offered him a two-month contract.
He missed an open goal against Hearts on his debut, ‘the worst miss you will ever see’, but McLeish kept faith in him and in August, after scoring one of the best goals of his career against Dundee, he caught the eye of Martin O’Neill, who was at the match to watch Rab Douglas.
“A few days later I got a call and the voice said, ‘Hi, it’s Martin.’ I put the phone down on him – I thought it was a joke! Luckily he called me back again.
“I went for my medical and they spotted my knee straight away, but Martin said, don’t worry it’s not a problem. He did the same with John Hartson too who had problems with his back and I signed that day.
O’Neill continued to put his faith in Agathe, allowing him to sit out training when his right knee swelled up like a balloon.
Even then it took an hour and a half of stretching every morning to loosen up enough to walk.
In his time at Celtic you would struggle to find a player who took as much joy from the game as Agathe. He had a smile on his face every day at the club, took time to meet and help supporters and seemed to love every minute of it.
He was also, without publicity or fanfare, involved in charity works, even bringing over a group of young players from La Reunion to train at the club in 2005.
That thread has continued into his retirement and, now 40 years of age, he is running his own academy on the island and in neighbouring Mauritius and has helped young players win professional deals in France, Italy, England and Scotland, all without taking a penny in return.
This partly stems from his faith, an appreciation of what he had and a determination to try and make sure that his players do not face the same obstacles he did.
“I should never have played but looking back now, I really think it was God who helped me,” he said. “I can’t explain the feeling I had, playing for Celtic.
“I was like a child, I felt like I was dreaming, especially when we played in the Champions League. I always knew how lucky I was to be there. My first motivation was – give your best and make people happy.
“I dreamed all my life to play and there I was, playing. I was living my passion.
“You realise when you finish how you made people happy. When you are a player people tell you, ‘you are a star, a legend.
“You are not, definitely not and I am not just saying this to play games. Without the people who come and pay to see you play, without your friends and the staff at the club, without all these people who believe in you, you are nothing.”
With a glance at his watch the interview ends. Agathe has to pick up his player, Yoel, who has just finished training.
Do his players know, did anyone outside his family ever know, what he had came through to get there?
“No,” he replied. “I have never told them.”
Finally, the story is out.
Didier Agathe : « Le Old Firm m’a contraint à déménager neuf fois en un an »
http://www.sofoot.com/didier-agathe-le-old-firm-m-a-contraint-a-demenager-neuf-fois-en-un-an-451197.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitterFlèche dans le couloir droit du Celtic pendant six saisons, Didier Agathe (42 ans) est maintenant rentré sur son île natale de la Réunion. Avant le derby de Glasgow, l’un des piliers de la dernière grande épopée européenne des Bhoys évoque l’impact du Old Firm en Écosse.Propos recueillis par Antoine Donnarieix samedi 30 décembre 201714 RÉACTIONSAfficher à droiteAfficher en basFACEBOOKTWITTERDidier Agathe : « Le Old Firm m’a contraint à déménager neuf fois en un an » Didier Agathe : « Le Old Firm m’a contraint à déménager neuf fois en un an »L’année 2017 termine fort à Glasgow avec le fameux Old Firm entre le Celtic et les Rangers. Est-ce que tu as déjà connu une ambiance aussi dingue pour un match de football ?J’ai déjà pu jouer dans des matchs de préparation contre Dortmund par exemple, mais l’ambiance de ce derby est quelque chose d’indescriptible. En Écosse, le Old Firm fait toujours un record d’audience sur les chaînes télé. Il est aussi retransmis dans les pays arabes, aux États-Unis car les supporters des deux équipes sont nombreux sur tout le globe. Le Old Firm, c’est tout sauf du foot.« Quand je vois un mec comme Messi qui explique que le Celtic Park est la meilleure ambiance qu’il connaisse, je ne suis pas étonné. »Quand je vois un mec comme Messi qui explique que le Celtic Park est la meilleure ambiance qu’il connaisse, je ne suis pas étonné. On voit des grands-parents venir avec leurs petits-fils dans une opposition entre catholiques et protestants. On entend en continu des chants contre le pape ou la vierge Marie, c’est malsain et cela respire la haine. À l’époque, on jouait contre les frères de Boer, Arteta… Des joueurs qu’ils payaient assez grassement d’ailleurs, ça leur a coûté la relégation. Et face à cette équipe-là, nous avions réussi un triplé et nous les avions battus sept fois d’affilée. Nous avons marqué l’histoire du club.La ficheDidier AgatheNé le 16 août 1975 à Saint-Pierre (La Réunion)AttaquantClubs : Montpellier HSC (1995-1996), Olympique Alès (1996-1997), Montpellier HSC (1997-1999), Raith Rovers (1999-2000), Hibernian FC (2000), Celtic FC (2000-2006), Aston Villa (2006-2007)Palmarès : Championnat Écossais (2001, 2002, 2004)Coupe d’Écosse (2001, 2004, 2005)Et sur le terrain, comment ça se passe ?Les joueurs se laissent complètement prendre par l’enjeu et toute la semaine qui précède la rencontre, c’est du brainstorming. Les supporters vont toujours te dire qu’ils préfèrent perdre contre la Juventus, le Barça ou peu importe l’équipe. Le seul match qu’il faut gagner, c’est celui face aux Rangers. Et dans les deux équipes, tu vas avoir des joueurs assez fragiles dans leur tête qui, lorsque le match ne tourne pas en leur faveur, se mettent à partir dans des dérives avec des tacles d’une extrême violence. Quand tu mises tout sur un match et que tu le perds, certains peuvent péter les plombs.Tous les joueurs qui ont participé à ce derby disent à peu près la même chose que toi. Quels sont tes souvenirs très personnels de ce match ?J’en ai tellement… Le Old Firm m’a contraint à déménager neuf fois en une seule saison. Un jour, des mecs des Rangers ont cassé ma voiture parce que nous avions remporté tous les titres possibles au niveau national. Une autre fois, on m’a envoyé des menaces de mort à mon domicile, donc j’utilisais un fourgon blindé pour aller m’entraîner. J’en ai une autre : je suis de religion catholique donc signer dans ce club, je le voyais comme un vrai signe. Nous étions dans la période de Carême, vers février-mars. Un Old Firm était prévu en fin de semaine.« Pendant tout le match, Ibrox Park chantait “Agathe loves curry ! Agathe loves curry !” à chaque fois que je touchais le ballon. C’était fou… »J’étais passé dans un restaurant indien très connu à Glasgow, où je mange de façon normale en respectant les règles de ma religion. Deux jours après, j’arrive à l’entraînement en voiture. 300 personnes nous attendent pour qu’on leur signe des autographes. Là, un mec me parle et me dit qu’il est journaliste. On avait pour consigne de ne parler à aucun média, donc je lui dis que j’ai entraînement. Après avoir pris ma douche, je vois qu’il est toujours là. Je termine ma journée et je sors faire des courses. Il est devant chez moi… Au bout d’un moment, je lui dis de demander l’autorisation au club pour me parler. Et là, il me dit : « C’est en rapport avec le restaurant indien. Pourquoi est-ce que vous êtes allé là-bas ? » Je ne lui réponds pas. Le jour du derby en première page, le quotidien avait titré « Agathe profite ! » en exhibant une fausse note qui montrait que j’avais commandé des dizaines de plats… C’était n’importe quoi ! Et pendant tout le match, Ibrox Park chantait « Agathe loves curry ! Agathe loves curry ! » à chaque fois que je touchais le ballon. C’était fou…Deco sans Valérie DamidotAvec tes bonnes performances au Celtic, Berti Vogts songeait à t’appeler en sélection écossaise, mais le public s’y opposait. Comment as-tu vécu cet épisode ?Sur le coup, bien sûr que j’aurais aimé jouer pour l’Écosse. Cela n’avait rien à voir avec le racisme, mais je me suis dit que le fait d’être le seul black de l’équipe nationale et d’être un naturalisé, cela pouvait dégénérer si ça tournait mal. Je pouvais passer à la casserole. Disons que j’ai anticipé les choses de manière négative, car je savais qu’une partie du public, notamment celui des Rangers, n’était pas favorable à me voir jouer sous ce maillot. Et puis m’alourdir le calendrier avec des matchs internationaux, en sachant que j’ai fait toute ma carrière sans cartilage aux genoux, c’était aussi risqué.Au Celtic, tu as joué avec la légende Henrik Larsson…Pfff… Honnêtement, c’est exceptionnel. Les gamins, tu peux les faire travailler sur les courses, les appels, les contre-appels. Mais sentir le but, c’est inné. Henrik, il terminait ses saisons à 48 buts. Alors certes, on va dire que c’est l’Écosse, un championnat facile, blablabla…« Je me souviens d’avoir délivré la passe décisive à Henrik Larsson pour son denier but au Celtic Park. Quand il marque, il vient dans mes bras et se met à pleurer. C’était beau. »Dans tous les championnats, tu as deux ou trois prétendants réels pour le titre. La seule différence dans ce championnat, c’est que le gouffre entre le duo Celtic-Rangers et les autres clubs est énorme. Mais malgré tout, quand tu voyais la façon dont Henrik empilait ses buts et qu’à l’entraînement, la première chose qu’il demandait au coach c’était de travailler face au but, je me disais que ce mec était fou. En match, quand je centrais, que ce soit au premier ou au second poteau, il était là. En tant que coéquipier, Henrik nous surprenait au moment de marquer dans un angle impossible, de sentir la bonne passe, le bon appel. C’était un buteur, mais aussi un formidable presseur de défense. Et quand il s’est décidé à partir du Celtic, il a su s’imposer au FC Barcelone et à Manchester United. C’est la preuve de son immense talent. Je me souviens de lui avoir délivré la passe décisive pour son denier but au Celtic Park. Quand il marque, il vient dans mes bras et se met à pleurer. C’était beau.En 2005-2006, ton coach devient Gordon Strachan, un personnage avec un très fort caractère. Quel type d’entraîneur était-il avec toi ?J’ai beaucoup appris avec Martin O’Neill sur le plan humain.« Strachan avait fait venir un arrière droit qui s’appelait Paul Telfer, un type marié à sa fille. Voilà… »C’était du vrai management, à parler avec les joueurs, créer un esprit de camaraderie, il te faisait sentir ça. Strachan, c’était tout le contraire. Déjà, il avait fait venir un arrière droit qui s’appelait Paul Telfer, un type marié à sa fille. Voilà… Dès le premier entraînement, je suis allé au clash avec lui parce que je m’étais blessé alors qu’il m’avait dit de m’entraîner contre l’avis des kinés… Il était complexé par rapport à son prédécesseur. Très franchement, je n’ai rien appris avec lui, et je ne dis pas ça parce que je n’ai pas joué. Gordon, c’est vraiment tout ce que le football ne doit pas produire. Tu sens qu’il est là par égoïsme et non pour transmettre quelque chose.VidéoTu as terminé ta carrière professionnelle à Aston Villa. Est-ce que tu aurais aimé jouer dans des championnats plus latins ?Quand j’étais à Aston Villa, c’était la fin de ma carrière. J’avais tellement mal aux genoux que je ne pouvais plus me lever pour aller aux entraînements. Évidemment, connaître l’Italie ou l’Espagne aurait été magnifique, mais quand j’ai joué des matchs de Ligue des champions avec le Celtic, j’ai pu échanger mes maillots avec ceux de Del Piero, Kaká… Je dis mille fois merci à la vie d’avoir pu m’offrir de tels moments au cours de ma carrière. Vivre ça, c’était le top.Que penses-tu du niveau du Celtic avec Brendan Rodgers comme entraîneur ?Brendan, c’est vraiment un mec que j’aime. Déjà dans sa façon de jouer, parce qu’il va vers l’avant. Même si contre le PSG, il fallait rester derrière et attendre l’adversaire, ce n’était pas son style. Il aime produire, jouer.« Je crois que le Celtic va révéler au monde une des futures grandes stars du football : Karamoko Dembélé. Les gens ne le connaissent pas encore très bien, car il n’a que 14 ans. »Humainement, j’ai eu l’occasion de le rencontrer lors d’un match de charité. Il est venu me voir et m’a attrapé par le bras pour me dire qu’il était fan du Celtic depuis tout petit. Là, je me suis dit que ce genre de gars devait finir par coacher le Celtic. Quand tu aimes le club, tu vas faire du bon boulot. Aussi, je crois que le Celtic va révéler au monde une des futures grandes stars du football : Karamoko Dembélé. Les gens ne le connaissent pas encore très bien, car il n’a que 14 ans, mais attention, c’est un phénomène.Avant ton passage au Celtic, tu incarnes, dans le film Un but pour la gloire de Michael Corrente, un joueur des Rangers. Est-ce une chose que tu regrettes aujourd’hui ?Non, cela reste très positif. Tu sais, je suis du genre à me dire que même dans les pires moments de ma vie, j’apprends. Nous sommes là pour cela. Nous sommes de passage. Quand des épreuves nous font chuter, il faut se relever pour continuer d’avancer. Quand j’étais footballeur, je réalisais que les gens travaillaient toute la semaine pour se payer leur abonnement au stade et venaient te voir jouer. De ton côté, tu dois donner le maximum pour qu’ils soient heureux quand ils ressortent du stade. Au Celtic Park, je voyais parfois des aveugles ou des malentendants nous acclamer. Ce qu’il faut garder en toute circonstance, c’est l’amour. Le Celtic ne m’a jamais reproché d’avoir tourné ce film, et je ne peux que remercier l’équipe du tournage pour m’avoir fait connaître le cinéma. D’ailleurs, je crois avoir mangé mon premier fish & chips avec eux, c’était un super souvenir ! (Rires.) Propos recueillis par Antoine Donnarieix